Year 7 (pt.3)
Michael crawled out of the rubble holding his sword tightly as he moved. His breaths were quick and shallow but when he tried standing he realized he had broken his legs after the explosion. He crawled onto a pile rubble, his breathing was more shallow and more painful for Michael as he looked towards the setting sun.
“I did it, Hermione,” he said to himself, staring at the setting sun remembering all the good times he's had in his life. Michael closed his eyes and his body went limp.
Hermione ran as fast as she could towards Michael after protecting him from the explosion, her mind was rushing with ideas of what could have happened. She got closer and saw Michael's sword lying on the ground, his armor everywhere, and Michael's body motionless. She ran to him and started screaming his name.
“MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, Mike please you can't go yet Michael you promised you wouldn't leave me here not like this, please Micheal,” she said, tears rolling down her face.
“Hermione, is that you?” Michael said quietly, turning his head to look at her. “Did I do it, Hermione? Did I save Hogwarts?” Hermione started crying.
“Yes, Michael, you saved us all,” Hermione said, trying to stop herself from crying. Michael reached his missing arm up to her, which confused her.
“Sorry about the arm, I kinda broke it but you can get me a new one right?” Michael said, coughing up blood. “I'm going to close my eyes for a bit, I'll write to you this summer ok?” Hermione smiled slightly at the new tears now rolling down her face.
“Ok Mike, I'll be waiting for your letters,” Hermione said, holding Michael's hand.
Michael closed his eyes and saw himself entering the castle to all of the students clapping and cheering him on. As he walked in, he saw Dumbledore and Snape in the front smiling at him, inviting him up to them. Michael smiled and started walking towards them.
“I knew you weren't dead, Dumbledore,” Michael said out loud which Hermione heard, making her look up at Michael's face seeing him smile as his breaths slowed to a stop.
Hermione sat there motionless until other students started to huddle around Michael, shocked at what they were seeing. Ginny and Luna pushed through the crowd and saw Michael's body laying there and started crying as they leaned into Hermione.
~
It was a few days before they had Michael’s funeral. Hermione had a speech she said before they sent Michael's boat out onto the lake. “Mike,” she coughed, before correcting herself “Micheal, as you all knew him, was the greatest man I knew. I'm so glad I was able to meet him my first year, here at Hogwarts, and if it weren't for him risking his life that day in the bathroom, our first year, I might have been killed by a mountain troll. But Micheal being Micheal he rushed head first and saved me, a girl he barely knew. I think that perfectly shows the kind of person he was in life. ‘Save people even if it means getting yourself injured doing so’, that's what he would always say to me before doing something heroic like fighting Voldemort as a way to stall him and let us get away safely. He knew he couldn't kill Voldemort, but he went to fight him anyway. To try and save us. Michael-” She tried to keep giving her speech but couldn’t and left the podium without saying a word. One of the teachers stepped up and finished the speech to fill the empty air.
“Even as he was dying he still had his warm smile on his face that would have made anyone feel safe. Michael truly was the hero of Hogwarts”
~
After the battle of Hogwarts had ended and Michael's funeral had long since ended Hermione stayed staring at the lake where Michaels body was burned. “You know its a long-kept Myasnik belief that if one died a hero they get into Iriy or heaven,” Blodwic said sitting down next to hermione. “That's good to know Blodwic but is there a point?” hermione asked not taking her eyes off the lake Blodwic pulled a rolled up piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and handed it to hermione. Hermione looked at the rolled up paper for a second and realized it had the Myasnik crest on it. “This paper was found in his sword handle where his wand was were keeping the wand but i figured the least i can do is give this to you” Hermione stared at the letter and looked back at Bloodwic but he had already left.
Hermione unrolled the paper and started reading.
My dearest friend Hermione, if you're reading this, died fighting Voldemort. There was so much left unsaid last time we talked that I need to tell you in the hope you don't hate me in death. Firstly I never wanted to be the monster i became in the bank it just sorta happened i'm ashamed of what i've done but i've gotten better at controlling my anger it took a lot of help from these random old people well they're not random to me but to you they would be random.
~
Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were as close as they had been in school. They missed Michael a lot but it was helpful that they kept in touch with his parents. Michael’s parents treated the girls as if they were their own children and helped them get to where they are now.
Hermione started working as the Head of Bank Defense for the Ministry of Magic. After Michael’s bank heist, it was clear that their defenses were less than secure. After a few years in this position, she worked her way to being the Minister of Magic and has held that position for a few years now. She has brought about a lot of new policies and programs that have greatly benefited the wizarding world. The Butchers would often have Hermione over for dinner because they knew how stressful ministry work was and they wanted to make sure she was properly fed.
Due to the Butcher’s many sponsorships with various quidditch teams around the world, they were able to pull a few strings for Ginny. Ginny is an amazing quidditch player and they thought she deserved to be on one of the best teams available. The Holyhead Harpies, the only all-female quidditch team, took her in. She would quidditch professionally for 15 years before becoming senior Quidditch Correspondent at the Daily Prophet. She owned a house in the countryside of Scotland, which she shared with Luna.
Luna had always been into new magic. While she had a home base at the home she had with Ginny, she was rarely ever there. Luna would travel the world learning new magic and discovering new creatures. All of her findings would be published in an ongoing series of journals called The Metal Arm’s Sword. The Butcher’s helped with finding an editor and publisher for these books. They were later used in teaching at Hogwarts.